It is known to form a plough guide from sections composed of L-shaped angle plates with upstanding sides connected to the working face sides of the runs of channelling of a scraper-chain conveyor. The angle plates have lower walls which rest on the floor of the working to form a slide way for the plough. Sliding spacers situated a certain distance apart between an upper and a lower chain channel for a plough drive chain are connected with the upwardly extending sides of the angle plates. A covering closes off the chain channels from the face. The covering is composed of guide beams forming a lower guide for the plough and situated at a distance from the lower walls of the angle plates and covering hoods mounted in pivot joints and capable of being swung over towards the face.
Plough guides of this kind are known in a number of versions, e.g. from DE-PS 26 07 350. In these plough guides the covering hoods are pivotably mounted on the sliding spacers situated a certain distance apart, in joints situated underneath the spacers and on a level with the lower chain channel. The pivot joints are thus positioned at the foot of the cover which closes off the chain channels from the face, i.e. on the guide beam which forms the lower guide for the plough and which in this case is formed on the one hand by rolled-over parts at the foot of the covering hoods made of sheet metal and on the other hand by parts of the sliding spacers. The covering hoods have window-like recesses which the sliding spacers engage by means of pivot pins mounted on the latter. In the upper zone the covering hoods, in their closed position, are detachably connected with the top of the upwardly extending sides of the angle plates. The high covering hoods form an upper plough guide subject to considerable forces during operation of the plough. The process of manufacturing the sections of the plough guide system is very costly. An object of the invention is to provide a plough guide of this type in such a way as to ensure a simple and robust construction for the pivot joints of the hoods and at the same time to increase the stability of the system and reduce the cost of manufacture.